Slamming the city's civic authorities for failure to tackle the simian menace plaguing the Tis Hazari courts complex in New Delhi, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday told the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, "If you cannot catch monkeys, then better close down your institution."

A Division Bench of Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Rekha Sharma gave the MCD four weeks' time to rid the complex of monkeys, in response to a Public Interest Litigation filed by a practising advocate, Nirmal Chopra. The petitioner had complained that the monkeys attacked lawyers, their clients and court staff and even snatched eatables.

He complained that though representations were made both to the MCD and the Delhi Government, no action was being taken by the authorities to put an end to the menace.

However, in response to queries from the Bench, counsel for MCD asserted that catching monkeys was no longer the task of the Corporation. He added mirth to the proceedings when he pointed out that one of the monkey-catchers employed by the MCD was badly mauled by the ferocious creatures resulting in the victim requiring 72 stitches.

He inferred that other monkey catchers were also unwilling to take up the task. It was at this stage that Justice Jain remarked that if the Corporation could not catch monkeys, the institution had better close down.